


the things we do for love (makes it all the more sweet)

by phoenix_inthe_fire



Category: The Bold Type
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-19
Updated: 2018-03-19
Packaged: 2019-04-04 19:46:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14027439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phoenix_inthe_fire/pseuds/phoenix_inthe_fire
Summary: Kat decides to be brave.





	the things we do for love (makes it all the more sweet)

**Author's Note:**

> Posted on tumblr first! I'm just trying to get everything over to AO3, just in case it gives anyone deja vu. Also I will deadass write a fic for you if you can guess who Kat is talking to.  
> @phoenix-inthe-fire.tumblr.com

Somewhere between her morning coffee and her lunch break Kat decides to be brave.

She browses plane tickets, hatches a half cocked plan like she does with everything in her life because she’s used to living spontaneously and in the moment.

“You’re insane!” Jane tells her later that night when she lets it slip that she’s thinking about leaving, “You just got a promotion, Kat, you can’t just leave.”

Sutton squints at them, eyes a little hazy because she’s had almost a whole bottle of wine. It’d been a hard day for her. “I think you should do it.”

Jane stares at her in betrayal as Kat points at her, “Yes! Thank you!”

Sutton merely shrugs at Jane, “I’d have done it for Richard.” She sighs sadly.

“You would not,” Jane grumbles, “You love your job too much.”

Sutton nods sagely and takes another sip of her wine, “But Kat doesn’t.”

Kat blinks, nods slowly, “I just want a change of pace.”

Jane looks like she wants to fight it more, Kat can see that she doesn’t quite understand, but then she sighs and lets it go because she trusts Kat to make her own decisions. “Alright,” She says eventually, “I’ll keep your office occupied while you’re gone,” She smirks.  
  
And Kat guffaws as Sutton laughs and she knows they have her back no matter what.

-

She almost chickens out twice with buying the ticket.

She calls and hangs up and calls back and gets put on hold and before she knows it she’s spent two hours on something that shouldn’t have taken more than 15 minutes. Putting in her request for a vacation and finding someone to cover her department had taken her less time than it did to buy a ticket.

But then Adena calls her and they talk about nothing important but Adena’s voice is calming and so filled with longing that Kat finally books the ticket when they hang up.

-

Kat finds that bravery is a continuing choice. Because she has the time off and her affairs in order, has the ticket and a packed back but she stands in line at the airport for security and almost turns back.

What if Adena doesn’t want to see her? What if Kat had been reading into all their calls and texts and Adena just wanted to stay friends?

“Is this your first time going through TSA?” The voice startles her and Kat turns to see where it came from. It’s a blonde woman with large glasses and tired eyes. She’s carrying a singular backpack and her hair is an absolute mess atop her head but she looks excited.

“Yeah,” Kat laughs, thankful for the distraction, “First time sober at least. Is it that obvious?”

The woman laughs and Kat notices that her eyes are very blue, “Little bit. I’m Jenna by the way.”

Kat shakes her hand, “Kat. You heading to Paris too?”

Jenna laughs, eyes widening behind her thick frames, “Oh god no. California actually, to visit my girlfriend. I haven’t seen her in 8 months.”

Kat’s eyes go wide but Jenna eyes her calmly, “G-girlfriend?”

“Yeah,” Jenna shrugs her backpack higher up her shoulders, “Wanna see a picture?” Her smile is wide and Kat is nodding before she can even realize.

Jenna shows her her girlfriend, a tiny brunette with a lip and nose ring who stares at Jenna like she hung the stars in her sky, says her name is Shan and they met online.

“How do you do it?” Kat finds herself asking, “The distance.” She wondered what it must be like to fall for someone you’ve never personally met, be committed from so far away. She’s amazed at the idea of trusting someone so much and then it dawns on her that she never really worried about what Adena was doing with Coco. Not when Adena was calling her every night and telling her everything without a worry.

Jenna sighs and for a moment she looks much older than she should. “Lots of FaceTime calls, lots of texting. It’s hard, I’m not gunna lie, ‘cuz the time differences are ridiculous but I love her so much so if I have to watch her eat breakfast while I’m going to sleep then at least I’m the first thing she sees when she wakes up and she’s the last thing I see before I go to sleep.”

Kat blinks. “Wow. That’s- wow.”

Jenna laughs, “Too gay for you? Haven’t gotten that far in your own life journey?” She asks knowingly.

Kat laughs instead of freaking out and she’s proud of herself for it. “I’m on my way to Paris to see a girl I’ve only know for three months. She was supposed to be fixing things with her own girlfriend but.” Kat shrugs. She doesn’t know how to finish that sentence because even though they both knew why Adena left, all the possibilities of what they could be hung between them daily. They were constantly toeing the line between friends and something more and still getting to know each other in between.

Jenna grimaces, “Yikes, dude, that’s quite a situation you have on your hands.”

“Tell me about it,” Kat says with a roll of her eyes, “She’s the first girl I’ve ever had feelings for too.”

“Yeah,” Jenna says with a small smile, “Shan’s the first girl I’ve had feelings for too.”

“Really?” Kat asks curiously, “But you love her?”

Jenna bobs her head, “Everything I didn’t know I wanted in a partner, honestly, it kind of hit me out of the blue one day. She had told me she got asked on a date and I totally flipped, didn’t talk to her for like three days and holed up in my dorm room. It was horrible.”

Kat smiles, thinks about how her own feelings had hit her like a truck too. “Damn those pretty girls am I right?”

Jenna shakes her head in agreement, “Got us flying across the damn country. The things we do for love huh?”

Kat’s smile doesn’t dim a fraction. The things she did for love indeed.

-

Kat is sad to see Jenna go and she follows the girl on twitter and promises to DM her about what happens in Paris in exchange for having coffee when they both return to New York but she makes it through the rest of security and even finds her gate easily.

She feels calm as she boards the plane, excited even to see Adena again, no matter what waits for them after this.

When she gets off the plane in Paris, the air feels different, calmer even. She doesn’t even call Adena immediately, she finds a small cafe across from the airport and buys what she’s sure is coffee and a croissant. This trip is as much about her and her changing as it is about exploring this thing with Adena.

It isn’t until after she’s sent a selfie in the group chat and receives two back that she decides to finally call Adena.

“Kat,” Adena breathes when the line connects, always so pleased to hear from her, it makes Kat feel warm inside. She understands the feeling. “It’s so late in New York. Are you okay?”

Kat laughs, can’t really do much else to let the rush of emotions in her chest free, “I’m- I’m great actually.”

“That’s good, I am glad to hear it,” Adena sounds a little confused but nonetheless genuine, “To what do I owe this late night call?”

Kat grins, tilts back in her chair, “Do you remember when I called you drunk two nights ago and told you I wanted to be brave?”

Adena doesn’t respond for a second and Kat waits. “Yes,” She says finally, suspicious and hopeful all in one. Kat positively adores her.

“I’m in Paris.” Kat says, “Landed an hour ago actually. I decided to get some coffee and a-”

“This better not be a joke, Kat Edison.” Adena’s voice cuts in sharply, trembling even.

Kat softens immediately. “It’s not a joke, Adena, I really am here in Paris. I can drop you a pin if you don’t believe me.”

Adena inhales sharply and Kat hears a door slam before Adena is speaking again, “Yes, please do. I’m on my way to you.” and then she disconnects the call.

Kat is dutiful in dropping the pin and it makes her feel good that Adena is rattled by her presence, it makes Kat feel like whatever they have going on is something real and tangible and not just calls and texts and subtext.

Adena arrives quickly and her face is still caught in awe even as she draws near, like she still can’t believe Kat is in front of her even though she is.

Kat wraps her arms around her the second she’s in reach. Adena lets out a noise of disbelief, grin ear to ear as she pulls back just enough to see Kat’s face.

“You’re really here.” Adena whispers, her hands cupping at Kat’s cheeks.

Kat grins, grabs her wrists and turns her cheek to press a kiss to Adena’s palm. “I’m here. I wanted to be brave for you.”

Adena softens, strokes Kat’s cheeks, “Oh, my dear Kat, you have already shown me you’re the bravest of them all.”

Kat doesn’t wait any longer, she’s waited since the moment Adena left really, so she closes the small space between them and kisses Adena like she’s wanted to at the end of every one of their calls.

Adena melts into her and it feels a lot like coming home.

Kat can’t help but think it was worth it. If meeting Adena again after so long was always going to feel like this, then Kat could see why Jenna made trips so often, how the distance didn’t matter when they were together again.

“Come on,” Adena says, slightly breathless when the pull apart, giggling when Kat tries to chase her lips, “I have so many places I want to show you.”

And Kat follows her easily, is positive she would follow this girl anywhere and can’t wait to do exactly that. 


End file.
